Form Help: select defaults

[Anon]

I wrote one .php file for a person to add a record to a database. One of the columns is "prod_loc" which is the location that they're in. In the form that the user uses to enter the info, I use a pulldown menu like this:

Production Location: 
<select name="prod_loc">
  <option value="NY">New York City</option>
  <option value="LA">Los Angeles</option>
  <option value="NJ">New Jersey</option>
  <option value="FL">Miami</option>
  <option value="IL">Chicago</option>
</select>

I want to create another php file where I, or another administrator, can edit the record that the user has entered in a similar form. I'm trying to figure out what is the easiest way for me to pre-select the menu option the user chose.

For example, lets' say the user selected Miami. How would I get the php file to automatically choose Miami in the menu when the administrator calls up the record on the site to edit it? I know I need to use the "selected" option in the option tag to make it so, but how to I get php to make it automatically come up that way in the html like this:

Production Location: 
<select name="prod_loc">
  <option value="NY">New York City</option>
  <option value="LA">Los Angeles</option>
  <option value="NJ">New Jersey</option>
  <option value="FL" selected>Miami</option>
  <option value="IL">Chicago</option>
</select>

I hope I explained that right. 🙂

[Anon]

Okay I don't know if this will work but it is worth a try. I gather from what you are saying is that after the user has selected their choice from the list then it is added to their information in the database. I assume that you can access this information from the database. If so then simply retrive the information about the product location and assign it to a variable
$loc
for example. Then embed an if statement in the menu.

Production Location:
<? $loc = "FL" ?>
<select name="prod_loc">
<option value="NY" <? if ($loc == 'NY'){ echo 'selected'; } ?> >New York City</option>
<option value="LA" <? if ($loc == 'LA'){ echo 'selected'; } ?> >Los Angeles</option>
<option value="NJ" <? if ($loc == 'NJ'){ echo 'selected'; } ?> >New Jersey</option>
<option value="FL" <? if ($loc == 'FL'){ echo 'selected'; } ?> >Miami</option>
<option value="IL" <? if ($loc == 'IL'){ echo 'selected'; } ?> >Chicago</option>
</select>

Okay so this may be the long way around but it works.
Aiden Montgomery

[Anon]

MMmmm.... Sweeeeeet!

Perfect... 🙂